Bay Alarm Company senior presence in CAA

The California Alarm Association has appointed co-President of Bay Alarm Company to head its board

Bay Alarm Company has announced that co-president Matthew Westphal has been elected President of the California Alarm Association (CAA). Matthew is the fourth family member to hold the position of President with the CAA. Former family member's included Mr Westphal's grandfather who founded Bay Alarm, his father and uncle. Mr Westphal's appointment is evidence of the family's commitment to the security industry within California and to making the CAA a national benchmark for a standard of excellence. A California family-owned and operated business since 1946, Bay Alarm Company has grown to become the tenth largest alarm company in the United States serving more than 100,000 residential and commercial customers.

"The industry itself is fragmented," said Matthew Westphal, co-president of Bay Alarm, and president of the California Alarm Association. "There are 17,000 alarm companies scattered across the United States, 3,000 of which are in California. We have to take a leadership role and bring the industry together to speak with a unified voice," said Westphal. "The California Alarm Association is the largest state association in the country, with 10 of the top 100 alarm companies situated here. There's a lot at stake here for our members and our customers who are trying hard to ride out this difficult economy."

During these tough economic times, cities are being forced to cut budget expenditures and seek new revenue sources. Potential impacts include a reduction in night patrols by local law enforcement and proposed legislation to increase fines for false alarms; either of which would negatively impact residents. As president, Westphal hopes to bring together the association's members to speak with one voice and insert the CAA into the dialogue in Sacramento. At the local level Westphal hopes to get members more proactively involved with sheriff and police departments throughout the state and to engage with local politicians who support the alarm industry's objectives.

"If we are successful in bringing together the interests of local law enforcement agencies with security companies, and keeping our customers interests at the forefront of the discussion in Sacramento, then we will collectively weather this economic storm," said Matthew Westphal, co-president of Bay Alarm Company and president of the California Alarm Association. "I'm confident that we'll be able to achieve our objective and make the California Alarm Association a strong force with an active and professional approach to problem solving."

The California Alarm Association provides a vehicle to promote growth and professionalism within the alarm industry throughout the state of California. The California Alarm Association is a state trade association comprised of licensed alarm company operators and suppliers of products and services. Nearly 200 alarm companies and 50 suppliers are members. The alarm companies represent 70% of the electronic security industry in California. Mr Westphal will serve a two-year term. At the end of his two-year term he may stand for election again.